This invention is directed, in general, to filing apparatus having a file cabinet mounted for rotation relative to a stationary base so as to enable selective presentation, according to the degree of rotation, of open or walled sides of the cabinet to the user. More particularly, it is directed to providing an improved rotatable base unit for such apparatus.
Conventional filing apparatus of this general nature is known wherein the bottom of the cabinet and a separate opposed stationary base define between them an annular raceway loaded with ball bearings, the separate parts of the raceway being held in bearing relation to the balls by means of a bolt defining the axis of rotation. An undesirable aspect of such an arrangement is a tendency of dirt to accumulate in the lower part of the raceway. This may cause sluggish movement of the ball bearings so as to impede smooth turning of the heavily loaded cabinet. The time and labor required to empty and dismantle such cabinets to clean the clogged condition may cause cleaning to be neglected until the apparatus is rotatably jammed or the raceway has broken down.
Further, in apparatus where the bottom of the cabinet is an integral part of the raceway or rotation mechanism, the apparatus cannot be readily interchanged with cabinets not having a raceway in their bottom ends.
A further disadvantage of filing apparatus employing ball bearing raceways is that the load of the cabinet on the ball bearings and raceway walls may cause undesirable wear pockets to develop, particularly when grit or the like finds its way into the raceway. Further, because of a lack of a solid under-support to the ball raceway in such apparatus, problems of flexing and wobble may arise, particularly with heavily loaded tall cabinets, so as to require pivot support of the cabinet not only at its base but also at the upper end of the cabinet.